As a woman of my time, I was among the last of those educated to become a stay-at-home wife and mother, and later provide a small secondary family income. Maternity leave from my permanent public service job in 1981, was approved only once I promised to resign if my child was born alive and well.

As a woman of my time, I became a sole parent and primary income earner for my family when violence threatened my life and the lives of my children.

As a woman of my time, I have no superannuation, no life savings, and have watched my retirement age increase seven years in the last ten years. Too old to be employable at 40, because most men my age could retire at 55, not likely to catch up to retirement until 70 or 75 years of age, I will have spent 55 years of my working life too female to be taken seriously, and 35 years too old to be worth investing in.